The Alabama Office of Water Resources (OWR) is working with FEMA Region IV to identify and assess the risk of flooding in the Coastal watershed and to produce updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Alabama OWR has also prepared a Community Outreach Plan to assist local communities in communicating flood hazards and risks to the citizens within the watershed. This plan identifies a variety of outreach methods to engage, educate, and inform communities and citizens of the benefits of new Flood Insurance Rate Maps and their potential effects.

As a local official, OWR would like to keep you well-informed of the mapping update and outreach implementation process. The first implementation step of the Community Outreach Plan is the distribution of Information Flyers to the (1) General Public; (2) Development Industry; and (3) Lending/Insurance/ Realty Industry. The Information Flyer is the first of 5 flyers that will be prepared and distributed throughout the mapping process and will coincide with the following phases: (1) Discovery; (2a) Map Production – Engineering Analyses; (2b) Map Production – floodplain delineation; (3) Preliminary FIRM and Flood Insurance Study (FIS); and (5) Effective FIRM and FIS.

The Information Flyers will be posted to the OWR website and will be sent to your local floodplain administrator for posting on your local community website. OWR will work closely with your local floodplain administrator throughout the map update process.

COASTAL WATERSHED Project Status/Points

Baldwin County

Letters of Final Determination (LFD) tentatively scheduled for October 19, 2018

Resilience Meeting tentatively scheduled for November or December 2018

Upcoming tasks include Risk MAP product dissemination and Adoption and Compliance Period

Mobile County

90-day Appeal Period began on June 27, 2018

90-day Appeal Period ends September 25, 2018

Upcoming tasks include conclusion of 90-day Appeal Period, acknowledgment of any Appeals or Comments, resolution of any Appeals or Comments

All comments or appeals must come to our office through the local community official before the end of the appeal period.

In Chapter 3 of the attached ‘Guide for Community Officials’ you will find helpful information which deals specifically with appeals.

The preliminary copies of the Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Insurance Study report for Mobile County and incorporated areas are out for public review. No new flood hazard information has been presented for our community.

If you would like to review the maps, you may do so by visiting the City Hall Building at 7875 Moffett Road, Suite F or the Public Works Department at 3940 Illinois Street, in Semmes.

Did you know that approximately 33% of all traffic accidents that result in State assistance in Mobile County take place on Moffett Road?

City government’s main goal is to keep its citizens safe and something had to be done.

The City partnered with ALDOT and hired a traffic engineer consultant to perform a traffic study. The study consisted of traffic counts, field reviews, capacity analysis of peak hour traffic conditions, and a review and analysis of recent crash data.

Based on the recommendations of the traffic study, the City and ALDOT hired Thompson Engineering to work on a design to address the traffic issues. The new design achieved the following recommendations of the traffic study:

Installed new traffic signals and street lights using smart technology to better control the flow of traffic

The City believes that changes made to the Moffett/McCrary intersection will improve safety by providing better visibility, improve the flow of traffic, and reduce the number of un-safe turning movements.

We would like to thank you for your patience and understanding during construction and want you to know that this entire project was created to improve safety for the citizens of Semmes.

The Mayor and City Council have renegotiated the MCSO contract for 2017/2018. Additional patrol coverage has been added in response to recent criminal activity in the Semmes area. Three more Sheriff patrols have been added to police the City of Semmes and it’s surrounding police jurisdiction. If you suspect criminal activity in your neighborhood, you can report any suspicious activity quickly through a link on the City of Semmes website, which will connect you directly with the MCSO’s crime tip section of their website.

The Mayor and City Council are in the process of renegotiating the contract with the Mobile County Sheriff’s office. The Mobile County Sheriff’s office will investigate all noise and nuisance complaints relating to the City of Semmes ordinances below and issue citations pending their investigations. These citations will be processed and administered by a Mobile County District Court.

The City of Semmes is closely monitoring Hurricane Nate. The hurricane is now a category 1, predicted to strengthen before landfall. Landfall is expected at approx. 9 pm along the coastal areas. Tropical force winds are already being felt in Semmes. It is strongly recommended that you stay off of the roads.

The City of Semmes has called in additional personnel from the Fire department and Public Works department to help respond to calls and mitigate the effects of Hurricane Nate. Crews are ready to do damage assessment and debris removal after the storm passes. Please call Semmes Public Works at 251-442-4334 or 251-366-0404 if you see any trees blocking a roadway that our emergency vehicles cannot pass.

Please take every precaution to keep yourself and your family safe during the next several hours. Have your flashlights, emergency radios, and water prepared, as power outages have already been reported.

For more announcements from the City of Semmes, please watch our Facebook feed.

The City of Semmes Emergency Management Staff has been monitoring the activity of Tropical Storm Nate. This storm is expected to become a category 1 hurricane within the next 34 hours. Landfall is forecasted at 7:00 pm on October 7, 2017.

Tropical force winds are expected to begin at approximately 12:00 pm on October 7, 2017

It is strongly recommended that you stay off of the roads, unless absolutely necessary. If you notice a downed tree or other road hazards, please contact Semmes Public Works at 251-649-5752. If you notice or come in contact with a downed power line, please do nothing and call 911 immediately.

During hazardous weather, emergency crews will respond to calls, based on priority, as soon as deemed safe.

Please take advantage of the time before the storm to prepare your home and family for potential power outages or other storm conditions. Please secure outdoor items.

For more announcements from the City of Semmes, please watch our Facebook feed.

Mobile, Ala. – The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) will resume construction of the US-98 and SR-158 extension projects in Mobile County beginning with the Big Creek Bridge Extension Project on Sept. 11.

The project scope will include adding an additional 1,400 linear feet of bridge on US 98 over Big Creek. The bridge will be equipped with a runoff containment system and tall barrier rail for water quality and watershed protection purposes. The $5.5 million project was awarded to Tanner Inc. from Laurel, Miss. and is expected to be completed by fall 2018.

The Big Creek Bridge extension is one of seven projects to complete the two-lane facility from the Mississippi State Line to Schillinger Road. The second section, beginning east of Lott Road to Schillinger Road, is scheduled to begin early 2018. ALDOT anticipates construction of the two-lane route to be completed by 2023.